The Mail Recovery Center (MRC) in Atlanta is the U.S. Postal Service®’s official “lost and found” department. Formerly the “Dead Letter Office,” the MRC has had several consolidations that have centralized the operation from four centers into one.
As part of the 2011 USPS® reorganization, the MRC operations moved to the Supply Management group under the Asset Management organization. Initial assessments of the MRC indicate significant opportunities to streamline and improve existing processes. Asset Management is sponsoring a Lean Six Sigma (LSS) project that covers the MRC’s processes and improvements to process inputs.
The MRC receives many items that do not meet the guidelines for acceptance or customer searches. A major project objective is to improve the quality of process inputs or items sent to the MRC from various postal facilities. The LSS team is developing communications pieces that provide guidance on how to prepare mail and other loose items to be sent to the MRC.
Items that are allowed to be sent to the MRC include the following:
n Loose-in-mail (LIM) items valued $25 or more.
n Eyeglasses.
n Cell phones.
n Guns as per the Postal Operations Manual
(POM) 691.57.
n Clothing: high-valued used and all new clothing.
For plant separations for the MRC, dispatch letters daily and parcels weekly as follows (see POM 691.581):
n Letters in letter trays.
n Flats in flat tubs.
n Books in flat tubs.
n Parcels in flat tubs if parcels are small in size.
n LIM and multi-media in flat tubs.
The following exhibits provide guidance for allowable and non-allowable items to be sent to the MRC and boxing and packaging tips:
n Exhibit 1, Items Not to Send to the MRC.
n Exhibit 2, Mail Matter Not Processed by the MRC.
n Exhibit 3, Sample Donation Receipt Release
Statement.
n Exhibit 4, Items Found Loose in the Mail: Action To Be Taken.
n Exhibit 5, Boxing and Packaging Tips.
For more information, go to the MRC website: http://blue.usps.gov/purchase/assetmgnt/am_mrc_welcome.htm.
Exhibit 1, Items NOT to Send to the Mail Recovery Center
n Any undeliverable or unendorsed Standard Mail® letters and flats.
n Any printed matter: circulars, newspapers, magazines, telephone books, catalogs, and similar type publications.
n First Class Mail® postcards.
n Used soft-back books.
n No-value, non-mail, loose-in-mail contents ($25 or less value) such as used wallets, purses, pens, pencils, keys, key chains, samples, and pins.
n Medicines, perishables, and articles likely to harm employees or damage equipment. Applicable guidelines are given in Handbook AS-553, Hazardous Waste Management, and Publication 52, Hazardous, Restricted, and Perishable Mail.
n Articles likely to attract pests including food.
n Used clothing, except high-value used clothing (i.e., leather jacket, wedding dress, furs, and formal dresses). Used clothing can be donated to charitable or public institutions supported in whole or part by federal, state, county, or municipal funds. You must complete a Donation Receipt/Release Statement (see Exhibit 3 on page 17) when releasing the items.
n Live mail.
n Target mail and anonymous mail.
Loose-in-Mail Items NOT To Send to the Mail Recovery Center
n Keys.
n Wallets.
n Checks (Return under cover due to privacy issues).
n Stamps (POM 691.42).
n Prescription and non-prescription drugs
(POM 691.52).
n Periodicals (dispose or donate).
n Used clothing valued under $25.00.
n Trash.
n Food.
Recycle Items
n Paper.
n Cardboard.
n Keys.
n Ink Cartridges.
If you cannot deliver, then return, forward, or dispose of locally in accordance with POM 691 and 507.1 of the Mailing Standards of the United States Postal Service, Domestic Mail Manual (DMM®). Do not use Priority Mail® labels or envelopes to send undeliverable mail to the Mail Recovery Center.
This receipt is to certify that the organization listed below has received undeliverable items from the ___________________________________ in accordance with Postal Operations Manual, 691. The receiving organization ___________________________________ agrees to take the full responsibility for the handling and use of food items.
Date: __________________________________
Organization: ___________________________
Representative: _________________________
USPS Employee present: __________________
Safe delivery starts with careful preparation. When sending a package, follow these guidelines to get shipments off to a good start.
The Box — Choose a box with enough room for cushioning material around the contents. If reusing a box, cover up or black out any old labels and markings.
Cushioning — Place cushioning around items. Close and gently shake the box to see if enough padding. Add more newspaper, packing foam, or plastic cushioning material if the items move around.
Customer Identification information — Place the delivery and return address information (recipient and sender) inside package prior to sealing. Insert address information inside books.
Sealing — Tape box shut and reinforce the seams with 2-inch-wide tape. Use clear or brown reinforced packing tape. Do not use cord, string, or twine because they will get caught in mail processing equipment.
Size — The weight of packages cannot exceed 70 pounds.
Correct Address — Using a complete and correct address is critical for efficient delivery. Always use ZIP + 4® when possible. Always use correct return address. Print or type clearly with a pen or permanent marker so the address is legible.
— Customer Asset Fulfillment,
Supply Management, 11-29-12
